


Salt and Burnt Sugar

by Indig0



Series: Fresh From The Oven [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Bakery AU, Coworkers to Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Homelessness, Past Abuse, daniel and simon are twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-10 00:44:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18649468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indig0/pseuds/Indig0
Summary: This new guy Simon hired wasn’t going to work out, Daniel could already tell.  He’d told his brother, but Simon was a sap and hired him anyway.  That would make it harder to fire him when the time came, but that was Simon’s job....And then Simon tried to push Ralph off on Daniel and the night shift.  If it lasted a week, Daniel would be shocked.(Companion piece to "Flour and Yeast," which hopefully works well on its own, though they're stronger as a pair!)





	1. Singed

The applicant pool wasn’t looking promising. Mostly because it included exactly one person at the moment.

Ralph was tense as a bowstring, twitching and flinching and looking everywhere but at Simon. He kept lifting a scarred hand to the even more scarred side of his face, then quickly lowering it. Some of the deeper crevices looked red and irritated.

“Why did you leave your last job?” Simon asked softly.

Ralph curled in on himself a little, and now his hand hovered for a second over his face. “I… Rrrrr… I… couldn’t stay anymore. Um. A… disagreement, kind of. A personal matter. Wasn’t fired, I… I couldn’t stay.”

His resume listed a garden center as his last place of employment, which he’d left almost a year ago. He listed his supervisor there as a reference, but Simon was beginning to wonder if that might be because he had few options. Definitely something to look into. He opened his mouth to ask the next question, but Ralph quickly spoke up again.

“M-medical! Medical… leave. I… went on medical leave.” He shut his mouth again and picked at his fingernails.

“Oh! All right. Um – What would you say are three strengths that you would bring to this job?”

Ralph’s eyes glazed over for a moment. “Um. Uh. S-strengths? I – W-well I’ll… do… whatever you need. I can… learn to do things if… if I don’t know, and… and…” His expression went blank. “I… I’m good at… at cleaning. You said… cleaning in the ad, right?”

“I did.” Simon smiled, almost as happy as Ralph was to get past that. “So willing to work, willing to learn, and skilled at cleaning. That’s really exactly what we’re looking for – someone trainable.”

The relief that dawned over Ralph’s face was overpowering. “Yes! Y-yes…”

“And… can you think of one thing you think you would need to work on?” He wasn’t about to ask for more than one – even that seemed a bit much.

Ralph froze, as he did for each question. It took him longer than was comfortable, but finally he whispered, “Being… good at… at a job…”

“…Confidence takes time,” Simon murmured. “I know it has for me. But it’s really about experience, so… it’s not impossible, it just takes time, you know?”

Ralph met his eyes for the first time, just briefly, before quickly looking away again. “I – I’ll try,” he breathed. “I’ll work hard, I want to be good at this, I…” He trailed off and clenched his fists tightly.

Ralph was the only applicant, but as much as he might want to, Simon couldn’t give him the job just because he needed it. He needed a reason. Honestly, he wanted a reason.

“Why do you want the job?” he asked quietly. “Why this place over any other?”

Ralph’s face twitched, and he scratched the pale scars on his arms. “I… I watched from outside for a few days. N-not being creepy!” he added quickly. “I wanted… to see how it was, to… to see if it was… a nice place, if it was… good here.” He swallowed thickly. “People come in and they’re busy and tired, and when they walk out they… they’re smiling. And not hurrying so much. Laughing, m-maybe. It makes people happy. I… I want to make people… happy,” he ended in a whisper. “I can learn, I can… I’ll work hard, I’ll do whatever you need.”

Simon smiled. “That’s… actually the best answer I’ve ever gotten to that question, Ralph. That’s why my brother and I took over this place from the last owner. To make people happy. It’s hard work, but I think it’s worth it.”

Ralph jolted and his eyes widened, darting to Simon again.

“Do you have any questions for me?”

His mouth twitched and he looked aside.

“I’m happy to answer anything. Now or later.” He paused, but Ralph didn’t speak. “All right, well thank you for coming in. I’ll contact your references, and get back to you by the end of the week, okay?” He smiled, not offering his hand to shake. He’d started the interview like that, and it had made Ralph back away from him in horror.

Ralph swallowed and nodded emphatically. “Th-thank you,” He whispered, getting up and turning to go.

“Oh – wait a second!” Ralph jumped and froze, and Simon took a bag of cookies from behind the counter. “Here – these were baked yesterday. We can only sell them for so long, but… leftovers are a big perk of the job.” He smiled.

Ralph stared, and slowly took them with shaking hands. “Thank you,” he breathed, looking up at Simon, his one good eye glistening. Then he fled.

Simon called the references – a high school teacher who hadn’t spoken to him in years but said he’d always put a lot of effort into his work, a social worker who had to look up his file but said he was very determined and never quit a task until he’d finished, and the supervisor at the garden center.

“Ralph… Shit, you mean Ralph Tomson – er - Thomson? He still alive?”

He pronounced the ‘th,’ which Simon hadn’t when he’d greeted Ralph because he’d only seen the name on paper. Ralph hadn’t corrected him. “Uh – yes, he just applied for a job as bakery staff, and listed you as a previous employer and reference. Would you recommend him?”

“Uh – hold on.” There were footsteps, then the other line was quieter. “Listen, I’m gonna be honest with you, he’s a weird one. Not great with customers. Freaks out over nothing a lot. He works hard, though. You give him a job where nobody’s around, and he’ll get it done. He works fine on his own.”

That wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t awful. “Thank you.”

“Hey – he acts like he’s scared of his own shadow, but don’t you corner him or he gets a little scary.”

“…Scary?”

“We had another guy back him into a wall, and nobody’ll tell me exactly what happened, but that guy wouldn’t work near him again, said he was crazy. I dunno. Didn’t… hurt anybody, but there’s something off about him, y’know?”

“Thank you for telling me, I appreciate your time. Um – what made you think he might not… be alive?”

“Well he got knocked around pretty bad after work one night, had to be in the hospital for a while. Didn’t have insurance, and you know how the healthcare system is.”

Simon winced. “Well… I just spoke with him yesterday.”

“Good. Glad to hear it. Okay, well I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Of course, thanks again.”

Simon helped a few customers, grabbed a bacon cheese roll for lunch, then called Ralph. After four rings it connected, and there was a staticky fumbling noise before Ralph spoke.

“H-hello? Yes?”

“Hi – Ralph?”

“Yes! Yes, this… this is Ralph, yes.”

“Hi, this is Simon from Jericho Bakery. I –“

“Oh! Yes, hello, yes! I – s-sorry, sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Are you still interested in the position we discussed the other day?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m v-very interested!”

“Great! I was hoping you could stop in to pick up the tax paperwork we have to file, just any time you’re free in the next couple days, and then start work on Monday. Would that work?”

There was an odd sound, then a fumbling and thump on the other end, then a quick fumbling again. “Yes! Oh yes, I… I can do that, yes, I – thank you. Thank you.”

“No problem. Come in any time. I’m excited to have you onboard with us.”

“Oh me too, so… so am I, I… I… thank you, yes, I… I’ll come… soon, I’ll… I… thank you.”

He was definitely crying. …Well he clearly needed this badly. He’d calm down. It would be fine.

He came in just before close, his good eye puffy and his face red. He thanked Simon again profusely and left with his paperwork and a loaf of cheesy bread.

“Oh – I’m sorry for mispronouncing your last name, by the way. It’s Thomson, right?”

Ralph’s face went blank just for a second. “It’s okay, I don’t mind, y-you can say it however you want, it’s… it’s not important.”

“I want to say it right,” Simon protested, but Ralph was gone.

When he went upstairs to the apartment he shared with his brother, Daniel was just getting up.

“You hire that guy?” he asked with a yawn.

“Yeah…”

“How long you think he’ll last?”

“I… Daniel, I don’t know. I really wanted to hire him, and he’s the only one who applied, but… there’s just so much personal baggage there that I can’t even begin to understand at this point. He – he’s been hurt really badly. By a lot of people, I think. In different ways. I don’t even know. I’ll help him along as well as I can, but I’m not a therapist.”

Daniel shrugged. “You hired him, though.”

“I know.”

“You let your pity get the best of you, you deal with it. I mean, you did have other reasons for hiring him, right?”

“Of course! I gave it a lot of thought. He’s willing to work and learn. He wants to please. And all his references all said he was a hard worker. I – I think it’ll work out.”

Daniel shrugged. “Okay, well good luck with that.”

The night shift was much more peaceful than the day, because it didn’t involve any customers. Aside from the occasional drunk beating on the door because they couldn’t read the damn hours listed on the door. Nothing Daniel couldn’t handle.

He’d put on some music and start with a cursory clean-up to take care of whatever Simon had missed. Daniel loved his brother more than anyone in the world, but his own eyes were sharper. And Simon had to deal with the public, so Daniel didn’t mind at all doing a little more cleaning. Then he’d get the next day’s batters and doughs prepared. The sweets were baked first so they were cool to be decorated later, and the breads and savory rolls were last so they’d still be warm for the opening rush. He did a lot of the decorating – Simon enjoyed it, but he just didn’t have time since Josh went back to school. And Simon was better at it, but Daniel wasn’t bad.

This new guy he’d hired wasn’t going to work out, Daniel could already tell. He’d told Simon, but Simon was a sap and hired him anyway. That would make it harder to fire him when the time came, but that was Simon’s job. Technically they were co-owners, but Simon had the larger share of responsibilities. They were both fine with that, and Daniel helped out with paperwork and whatever else needed to be done when he needed to. He took a look at the resume – not great. Simon hadn’t taken great notes on the interview or references, but most of that wasn’t good either. The answer to the last interview question – _’Saw people come out happy, wants to make people happy.’_ Only Simon would fall for something like that. And that note from his last reference - _’Cornered by coworker, scared coworker? Didn’t hurt him. Hospitalized?’_

Well. It wouldn’t last long. They’d be better-off with North, scaring off the nastier clientele.

 

Sure enough, two weeks later, Daniel got a text when he woke up. He could text Simon all night and he wouldn’t wake up, but if Simon texted while he was asleep it woke him up and it took at least fifteen minutes to fall asleep again, if he could at all. Simon was considerate about it, though.

_Simon: How are nights going?_

_Daniel: Fine. Why?_

_Simon: I’ve been having to bake more during the day. Would it help you to have help overnight?_

_Daniel: Is Ralph not able to take the register while you bake?_

_Simon: He’s actually much better at baking. He can follow a recipe well, he even tweaks what he needs to._

_Daniel: I see where this is going and no_

“Come on,” Simon wheedled when Daniel came out of his room.

“I’m not taking your rejects, I don’t need somebody slowing me down,” Daniel growled. “I told you not to hire him in the first place.”

“He’s not that bad, I told you he’s good at baking. He just doesn’t like crowds, he’s not great with customers. You don’t like customers either.”

“I said no.”

“Can you just give him a chance? One week, then if he’s not working out, I’ll let him go. I just think the front of the house isn’t for him. I think he’d be good on your end.”

“I don’t have time to babysit your… pity projects, Simon! We don’t have money for this, we can’t –“

“I promise he’s not just a pity project. I know he’ll be helpful to you. Please just give him a chance?”

“You wanna have even fewer baked goods in the morning? You’ll run out faster, we’ll lose money. We’re already losing money giving somebody who can’t handle it a paycheck.”

“He won’t slow you down. At the very least, he won’t get in your way. Five days, Daniel.” His eyes were wide and pleading.

“Quit your puppy eyes, I could do the same thing if I had no pride,” Daniel grumbled. “…Five days tops. If he fucks up, he’s out.”

“…Beyond the scope of the typical learning curve,” Simon said.

“…And you had a note in his file about some kind of incident with a coworker at his last job…”

“Oh, I don’t know what that was. Neither did his last boss. Just said some guy cornered him, and he… scared him. Didn’t hurt him, but the guy was scared.” Simon shrugged. “I don’t know, he’s pretty small, and really timid. Sounds like somebody was being an asshole and… I don’t know. He’s a little weird, but I definitely wouldn’t call him dangerous.”

Daniel stared at him for a long moment. “If I die because you left me alone with that weirdo, I’ll haunt you until the end of time.”

Simon raised his hands in defeat. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. I know you’ll be haunting me already.”

“I’ll double-haunt you,” Daniel muttered. “…Five days. At the most.”

A smile broke over Simon’s face. “Thanks, Daniel. I think it’ll be good.”

“I think you’re full of shit.”


	2. Caramelized

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ralph switches to the night shift, to his (and Simon's) relief.  
> Daniel is less than enthusiastic, but his true nature is quick to show itself.  
> They manage to get through the first night with a minimum of disasters (that doesn't mean none).

“Doing okay today, Ralph?” Simon asked after the few lunch customers left.

Ralph’s shoulders tightened. “F-fine, yes. How are you?” he asked, a bit mechanically.

“I’m all right. Hey, I was talking to Daniel – have you met him yet?”

“I – I saw him a few times in the morning.”

“Well he works nights, you know, and you know we’ve been running out of things before close, and we don’t really have time to do a lot of baking during the day… Would you be interested in switching to nights?”

Ralph had been picking at his cuticles, but froze at the question.

“It’s up to you, I just thought you might… like it. You don’t have to deal with customers, which is why Daniel loves it. He’d never switch back to days. The hours aren’t for everyone, but –“

“You’re not… firing me?” Ralph breathed, trembling.

“What? No, why would I fire you?”

“…I dropped a pie on Tuesday, I broke a plate last week, I… I stare at customers or I don’t look at them, I don’t say hi enough, I don’t smile at people, I’m… I’m not very good. With people.” He shuddered.

“No – listen, I break things and drop things too, that’s not a big deal. And like I said, customer service isn’t for everyone. I have a hard time with it some days, too. I asked Daniel, and he said you could give nights a try, see how you like it for a week. Just you and him overnight.”

Ralph’s eyes had widened, and he was staring mostly at Simon’s face.

“…Now I should warn you, Daniel doesn’t get along with… with everyone. He can be kind of a jerk sometimes, but he’s a good guy. He won’t be mean to you or anything. Um. If he is, let me know, I’ll say something to him. He’s – look, I don’t want to put you off, he’s really not that bad.” Ralph looked worried. “Ah – did I tell you we’re identical twins? I think you’ll see the differences, though. Um. I’ve been told it’s weird to look at us next to each other, because it’s like a mirror into another dimension.” He gave a forced chuckle. “So. Um. Would you… be interested in that? I know I did a terrible job of selling it, but I think it’d work out well for all of us.”

“Y-yes!” Ralph said quickly when he finally stopped talking. “Yes. Rrr… I… I want to work at night, I… I might be… better at that. A little. I know I’m… not good. With people.” He gulped and swiped his scarred arm across his face, smearing some flour there. “I’ll try… to be better at night.”

“Ralph, you’re not bad,” Simon said softly. “You’re good at baking, which is really the most important part of this place. I just want you to be comfortable, and… I can see you’re not. …You’re doing fine, you don’t need to worry about doing better. I just want the job to be better for you.”

Ralph’s good eye was wide and wet, and it softened a bit as he spoke. “Th-that’s… nobody… ever…” He sniffled loudly and blinked hard.

“It’s okay,” Simon murmured. If he thought Ralph would take it well, he might have hugged him. He looked like he needed it, but it just would have scared him. “Would you be able to start Monday night at ten? Is that enough time to change your sleep schedule?”

Ralph let out a loud bark of laughter, making Simon jump a little. “Yes! Sorry, sorry! Yes, Monday at ten at night, I – I’ll be here! I… I can stay up tonight and sleep in the day, and… yes, I can do that!” He couldn’t contain another, smaller laugh. “I can do that. Thank you, thank you, this… this will be good, I can do this.”

“I know. Thanks, Ralph, I really appreciate you being flexible with this. Daniel’s looking forward to working with you.” He didn’t feel so bad about the lie because he figured the encouragement would help Ralph.

 

 

Daniel went down to the bakery at 9:56. He turned on the lights, and Ralph was standing there beside the pie case. They both jumped.

“…Shit, you scared me!” Daniel breathed. “Were you just standing there in the dark!?”

Ralph gulped and nodded, staring at Daniel. Like Simon, but in a mirror to an alternate dimension…

“Well… turn on the lights next time, don’t be a creep,” Daniel muttered, walking past him into the back. Ralph crept after him slowly.

“So when I get down here, I start by cleaning up – Simon does a little before he leaves, but I clean better. We’ll see how you do.” He cast a critical look back at Ralph. “Then I’ll show you how to prep the doughs and batters.”

Ralph nodded quickly.

“First, though – what kind of music do you listen to?”

Ralph blinked, freezing. “M-music? I… I don’t listen to music.”

Daniel frowned. “You – what? Not at all?”

“Sometimes I do!” he amended quickly. “I… like hearing music! Um – any, almost any music. Not… not too loud or… angry.”

Daniel smiled a little. “Okay. Nothing loud or angry. Let me know if you want me to change it. By the way, don’t worry about waking Simon up – nothing wakes him up. I could throw the baking pans around and scream at the top of my lungs and he’d have no idea.”

Ralph nodded very seriously.

“So if you wanna get started out here – I’m talking deep cleaning, not just wiping tables and sweeping. Okay?”

He nodded again.

“Great, I’ll start in the back.”

What a weird guy. Didn’t listen to music? Daniel put on something soft but not too boring and got started. He sang along a little as he worked, sweeping, mopping, and scrubbing at surfaces. When he was satisfied, he stuck his head out to see Ralph balanced precariously on a chair, carefully wiping a light fixture with a soft cloth. The rest of the room looked promising. He’d probably fall if he got startled. Daniel went back to start pulling out mixing bowls and ingredients.

When he came out again, Ralph was bent over a table, worriedly scrubbing at a spot.

“…That’s been there for years,” Daniel commented, and Ralph jumped, the rag flying out of his hand. He tried to catch it, but ended up crouching on the floor over it. “You’re not gonna get it out.”

“S-sorry! Sorry, I – I wanted to… to deep-clean, like… like you said, I wanted…” He swallowed, trembling a little.

Daniel looked around. “Yeah, I only get the lights about every month, and like I said, that stain’s not coming out. So you did more than you had to.” Ralph shrank in on himself. “Nice attention to detail. C’mon, I set up for baking already.”

Ralph was very attentive, almost to an obsessive degree. He watched closely, and he murmured bits of Daniel’s explanations back to himself.

“Simon said you were decent at baking. Just remember you’re making a lot more here. So let’s start with cake, because it takes the longest to cool. We’re making ten trays of cupcakes: Five chocolate, five white. You make the white ones, got it?”

“Yes!” Ralph said quickly, and they got started.

Daniel tried not to watch Ralph too closely, but it was hard to not keep an eye on him. His hands shook and he whispered to himself and he made sure each measurement was precise. When he leveled out the sugar for the third time, Daniel laughed and Ralph dropped the scoop into the bag.

“It doesn’t matter if there are two grains more or less. It should be close, but you don’t have to get it that exact.”

Ralph flinched away. “S-sorry. I want to get it right.”

“Well… it’s right. You got it. Don’t worry so much about it.”

Ralph did worry, visibly so, but he tried hard to only measure everything once after that.

“Get everything right?” Daniel asked, grinning, when both their batters were resting.

Ralph cringed. “I – I think so. Rrrrr… I hope – yes. Yes, I… I measured. Everything.”

“Looks okay to me.” Daniel ran a finger around the rim and tasted the batter. “Mm, tastes good too. Let’s grease the pans and get these in the oven.”

After that they made cookies – sugar cookies first, then chocolate chip, then oatmeal spice. While Daniel cleaned up from those, Ralph went to get a new bag of flour from the storeroom.

“You live close by?” Daniel called across the quiet room, then looked up just in time to see the flour fly out of Ralph’s hands and the terror on his face as he scrambled to catch it, grab it, stop it. Daniel surged forward towards it too, not like he could do anything…

The bag hit the floor and exploded, covering a twelve-foot radius in white. That included Daniel and Ralph. Daniel coughed and sputtered, blinking hard and brushing flour off.

Ralph didn’t move, and Daniel didn’t notice until he made a choking sound.

“…Ralph?” He walked closer. “Hey, breathe. …Get that shit off your face, and breathe.”

Ralph inhaled a lung full of flour, and erupted in a weak coughing fit, stumbling back, brushing and shaking off flour. Daniel got him a cup of water, and one for himself as well. He pulled out a stool.

“Okay, take it easy. Here, sit. Take a sip of water, just a little at a time. No, sit, don’t worry about it. Drink your water. Okay, now take a deep breath. No, keep sitting, just take it easy for a minute.

“Sorry,” Ralph finally croaked when he was able to speak. “S-s-so sorry, I… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t… didn’t m-mean to, I’m sorry.”

“Okay, hey, take it easy. Keep breathing. No problem. Flour’s cheap, we’ll clean it up.”

Ralph was staring at the floor in abject horror. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I – I’ll… p-pay. For it, I’ll pay, just… just please let… let me… stay. I’m sorry.”

“Ralph. Deep breath.”

He took a deep, ragged breath, and let it out, sending up a small puff of flour.

“Okay, listen. It’s just flour. It’s like 80 cents for a bag at Aldi. I drop shit sometimes too, no big deal. We clean it up, we get another bag, we move on.”

Ralph was trembling hard now.

“Finish your water – slowly. Then dust yourself off. Okay? I’m gonna give you a minute, but I’ll be right back.”

Daniel went to get a new bag of flour, and when he put it down and came back over, Ralph was brushing himself off, still shaking, watching the flour drift to the floor.

“No problem, we’ve got more.” Daniel patted the new bag, then went to get a couple of brooms.

“I’ll try to do better,” Ralph whispered as he took one.

“Okay,” Daniel said simply.

They swept the floor until Daniel decided it was good enough.

“There’s flour in the cracks,” Ralph muttered, picking at his fingernails.

“Yeah, well, wouldn’t be the first time. We’ll clean up again before we leave. Simon probably wouldn’t notice anyway. C’mon, we need to get started on the bread.”

Ralph watched and helped make the loaves and buns, sniffling now and then.

“How’re you holding up?” Daniel asked around 4:30.

“Fine,” Ralph said quickly.

“I’m used to it by now, but at first, this was the worst time of night, when I’d suddenly get tired and I thought I might pass out or throw up or something. Simon found me asleep on the counter a few times.”

Ralph just nodded. He looked far too tightly-strung to fall asleep anyway.

“So, what’s your favorite thing to make so far?”

“C-cookies.”

“I’m a sucker for chocolate chip. You got a favorite?”

Ralph’s face twitched. “…Oatmeal. And chocolate chip. Together.”

Daniel grinned. “Yeah? We’ll have to make that tomorrow, sounds like it’d be a hit with the healthy crowd and people who like chocolate.” He leaned on the counter. “I want to try more different recipes, we just haven’t had time to experiment lately.”

Ralph bit his lip and stared at Daniel.

“I’m thinking though, if you’re around to help – and if Simon finds somebody dumb enough to want to work days – we could try out some more new things. Flavor combinations, but also just… more artistic shit. I used to sculpt things with bread dough sometimes, you’ve gotta be careful that it cooks evenly, but people liked them. And it was fun.”

By the end of the night Ralph was swaying. He hadn’t spoken again, but Daniel had talked about nothing for a long time. He wasn’t used to talking so much – he really hadn’t since he and Simon had been kicked out of their childhood home. It was hard to think of things to say, but once he got going it was kind of nice.

“You can get out of here early if you want – this is a fucking unnatural way to live, it takes a couple weeks to get used to.”

Ralph froze.

“Take whatever old stuff you want – if you’re not sick of carbs yet. I swear I’d cut them out entirely if I could, but…” Daniel shrugged. “It’s what we’ve got.”

Ralph watched him, and if he hadn’t just spent almost eight hours with him, Daniel would’ve found it creepy. Maybe it was a little. Ralph’s face twitched, his lips parting to show clenched teeth.

“Are – s-sorry,” Ralph mumbled. “Rrr… I’m… sometimes I’m… stupid, I – am I… fired?”

“What? No. Did it sound like – hey, no. Listen. You’re fine, I’m just not used to talking to people much, not in the last few years. I say stupid shit a lot, and I get mad over nothing – it doesn’t even mean anything. No, listen, you’ll know if you really fucked up.”

Ralph bit his lip, shaking.

“…Okay, I’ll tell you if you really fucked up. For now you’re pretty weird, but you’ll get used to things and you’ll be fine. We’ll get caught up on things and start trying new stuff. Sound good?”

Ralph nodded, eyes wide.

“Good. Are you gonna take off or stick around?”

“S-stay.”

Daniel shrugged. “Okay, you probably won’t get to leave early again. Up to you, though.”


	3. Brined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nights are going well, and Ralph settles in.  
> Simon finds some daytime help, finally. Daniel does not approve.  
> Ralph unlocks Daniel (and Simon)'s tragic backstory.

_Simon: So what’s the verdict on Ralph?_

_Daniel: He’s a complete disaster_

_Simon: I’m sorry, I really hoped he’d work out. I’ll come in early tomorrow and let him know._

_Daniel: No you fucking won’t._

_Daniel: He’s weird and twitchy and a mess but he gets shit done_

_Daniel: He’s scared out of his mind but he’s learning and he cleans more thoroughly than I do when I let him_

_Simon: So we’re keeping him?_

_Daniel: Absolutely we are_

_Daniel: Any good applicants lately?_

_Simon: No. I’ve called a few, they seem like they don’t even want it._

_Daniel: You could see if North is still interested_

_Simon: I love North, but I don’t think she could stand the customer service aspect._

_Daniel: She’d get bored with the baking part too_

“So, are you liking it so far?” Daniel asked when he went down to the bakery. Ralph was inside already, and he turned the lights on so Daniel wouldn’t be startled.

“Yes, yes I like it!” Ralph clenched his fists. “I like… most of the things we make, and it’s… it’s nice just to bake all night.”

Daniel smiled a little. “…Only most of the things?”

“Uh.” Ralph froze. “Just – not… the rolls with… with bacon or ham. I – I’m… I don’t…”

“You’re a vegetarian, really?”

Ralph nodded.

“Huh. I won’t offer you any more meat, then. Wish you’d told me sooner.”

Ralph’s shoulders tightened. “I… don’t want to sound… not grateful.”

“Tch, you don’t have to be grateful for leftovers – especially if you don’t even want to eat them. Just take something else.”

“I didn’t steal anything.” It came quick and defensive.

“Didn’t say you did. I’m saying any of the day-old stuff is fair game if you want it. That’s how I eat. It’s a job perk, nothing wrong with using it. Otherwise it goes bad and we have to throw it out. No reason to starve.”

Ralph swallowed and nodded slowly.

“You’re not getting fired,” Daniel assured him, as he had every night so far. “I actually just talked to Simon, told him you were doing fine, said I wanted you to stick around. As long as you want to.”

“I – I do!” Ralph’s good eye glistened, and a strained smile pulled at his scars. “Thank you, I do, I like working here. Did… did Simon say that was okay?”

“Of course he did. He said from the beginning, as long as I gave you a chance it’d be up to me whether you stayed. And we’re making almost time and a half now, so as far as I’m concerned you’re not going anywhere.”

Ralph’s hands darted out towards Daniel, then pulled back just as quickly. It happened three times before Ralph settled on hugging himself tightly. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Oh, thank you.”

“No problem…” Daniel had always assumed Ralph wouldn’t want to get too close, would want to avoid being touched, so he’d kept his distance. Now he took a step closer and offered his hand. “It’s good to have you here. And… I like having someone to talk to.”

Ralph’s shoulders hunched up. “Rrr… I’m not good at talking, I know…”

“You’re fine when you do it.” Daniel shrugged. “You’re a good listener, though. I guess I haven’t talked much since… for a long time. I used to talk a lot, when I was younger.”

“I like to listen,” Ralph murmured, glancing up at Daniel. His hands darted out to grasp Daniel’s tightly just as his arm was getting tired. “I like when you talk to me, thank you.”

Daniel smiled a little and gave an awkward squeeze back – Ralph had a surprisingly strong grip. “Well I’m happy to talk – obviously, I feel like I’ve talked all week. I’m happy to listen if you want to talk too, though. Just tell me to shut up if you can’t get a word in edgewise.”

Ralph paled, and Daniel laughed.

“Don’t worry about it. Just say what you want, it’s fine. You’re not bad at talking. Anyway, who’s gonna judge you? It’s just me, I don’t care. That’s why we work nights, so we don’t have to deal with people who think shit like that.” He grinned sharply. “Let Simon put up with that crap, I wouldn’t want to.”

Daniel managed to draw Ralph into a conversation after a few hours. “I had bread with rosemary baked into it when I was little, that was pretty great. Once in a while I make a loaf of that. I’d like to try some other herbs and stuff.”

Ralph nodded. About half an hour later, while they were letting the bread dough rise, he whispered, “Rosemary and strawberry.”

Daniel looked over at him blankly. “What?”

“R-rosemary and strawberry. Strawberries. In bread.” Ralph was frowning at the floor. “A… a little sweet. But maybe not too much. O-or… in cake with more sugar.”

“Hm… I like the sound of that. Let’s try it as cake and see how it does, then we’ll try the bread.”

Ralph smiled a little. He began to smile more often as the weeks went on, a crooked shape full of barely-restrained feelings.

 

 

Spring came, and Simon hired someone new to help during the day. And he would not shut up about him.

“…And apparently Markus is just great with people, and so artistic, and will be the one to save us all.” Daniel rolled his eyes as he gestured around the room. “He wants us to cater his dad’s big art opening.”

“…You don’t like his dad?”

“Never met the guy. He’s apparently some big name in the art world, though.”

“You don’t like… Markus.”

Sometimes it surprised Daniel how perceptive Ralph was. Or maybe he wasn’t hiding it as well as he thought. “I don’t know him much, just what Simon says. I could tell he thought I was Simon once.”

Ralph frowned. “He… talks like he’s really smart.”

“He talks like he went to school for years,” Daniel muttered. “Doesn’t make you smart.”

“Rrrr… I… wasn’t good at school. Not a lot of things in school. M-maybe a few things.”

“I was. I have a great memory, I used to be able to give fantastic presentations, I wrote well, I could figure out any new concept I came across… Not like I was the top of my class, but… top ten, definitely.” He folded lavender into the shortbread dough. “I thought I was on my way to doing great things. Then… Simon and I got kicked out of the house, and I lost all that.” He laughed bitterly. “And you know what? I had tons of friends in high school. Everybody liked me. When they found out I wasn’t going to college anymore, they all said how sad that was, how sorry they were, and then they fucking went off and didn’t have time for me anymore. Even the ones who stayed in town. They’d answer when I’d talk to them, but they never talked to me first. Like it completely changed who I was.” His lip curled. “…Which it did.”

“Why… w-why were… you kicked out?” Ralph whispered nervously.

Narrow eyes flicked to him, then looked away. “Oh that’s the best part. They said we needed to figure out how to get by on our own, that they’d raised us for eighteen years and their job was done. Our parents. Who’d loved us – I thought. They’d said shit like that before, but they always laughed. I thought… we thought they were joking. They weren’t. And you know the funniest part? All that shit I was good at didn’t mean a damn thing. Fucking useless. People who dropped out had an easier time finding a job than me and Simon, they were at least used to fighting for what they wanted. So fuck being good in school, it doesn’t mean a goddamn thing once you’re out.”

Ralph swallowed, eyes glued to Daniel.

“We got fucking lucky that Lucy hired us both here. We stayed on for a few years before she decided to move to Arizona to take care of her parents. Taught Simon the business end, and me more of the recipes.” Daniel sighed and started rolling the dough into a long roll. “Best thing that ever happened to us. She was more of a mom than our parents.”

“Were… were they mean to you?” Ralph whispered. “Before?”

Daniel’s expression darkened, and he started slicing the roll into thin pieces. “…No. I mean, they’d get mad at us sometimes, yell at us, ground us… but one day they were saying goodnight, telling us we could do anything with our lives… the next day they were saying get up and pack a bag, the law says you’re old enough to figure that shit out on your own now. Said they’d done all they could, and if we went out and made something of ourselves, then they’d done a good job. But if we fucked it up, we had no one to blame but ourselves.” A grim smirk twisted its way across his face. “And you know, it took me a while to figure out just how fucked up that was. I had a lot of other shit to think about.”

“So… you came here.”

“Not right away. We tried to find friends to stay with, but all our friends lived with their parents or had gone away to college. Would’ve been hard enough to find a spot for one homeless teenager, much less two. And all the other parents were like, oh, we don’t wanna mess with somebody else’s parenting style, I’m sure they’re doing what they know is best. I’m sure there’s a reason.” Daniel suddenly kicked the baseboard savagely, making Ralph cringe back. “I fucking gave them a reason.”

“N-no, no.” Ralph trembled. “You… you were good, you were always good, you and Simon.”

“Yeah, we were. Up until then. Just shows you can’t fucking trust anybody.”

Ralph hunched up miserably. “You… you have your brother, though. You trust Simon, right?”

Daniel’s eye twitched, but he exhaled, and a bit of tension drained off. “…Of course I trust him. He’s all I’ve got.”

“A-and… he loves you and takes care of you, because he’s your family.”

Daniel snorted. “I guess. Do I look like I need taking care of?”

“…Everybody does,” Ralph murmured. “At least a little. I think.”

The familiar flash of blinding rage – at the notion that he would need anyone for anything – didn’t last long. He closed his eyes and took a slow breath. “…We get by.”

Ralph watched him, waiting until he looked calmer. “You’re… lucky to have each other.”

A tremor ran over Daniel’s face, but he gave a short nod. Of course they were. Without Simon… he’d probably be in jail, honestly, with how he’d reacted during the initial fallout. And without him, Simon probably just would’ve holed up somewhere until he’d starved to death.

“So what’s your story, Ralph? You from around here? Any deep family traumas, or –“ Ralph had frozen up, his breathing coming fast and shallow. “…Shit, Ralph, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that, I didn’t mean - sorry. I’m a jerk, you know that. You don’t have to say anything.”

And he didn’t, for another hour, until they were waiting for the bread dough to rise.

“Rrrr… I always lived here. I wasn’t good at most things in school.”

“Ralph, I was being an asshole, you don’t have to –“

 _”LET RALPH TALK!”_ Ralph roared, and Daniel startled back. Ralph cringed away from him, squeezing his eyes shut. “Sorry, Rrrr… I’m sorry, I’m sorry for yelling.”

“Sorry,” Daniel said softly. “It’s okay. Go ahead.”

He didn’t speak again until they were pulling the bread out of the ovens. “T-tomorrow? Can I tell you tomorrow?”

“Sure. After the catering thing, okay?”

“Oh – yes. Yes, after.”

“You don’t have to stay for it either, I don’t think it’s gonna be that big.”

“I… want to help, I want to do my job…”

“You could just help get things set up, then get out of there. I’ll make sure you get your share of tips.”

Ralph’s face twisted in worry. “If… if I leave, then… then I don’t get tips, tips are for people who… who people see.”

“Nah, we split it four ways, that’s how this works. Hopefully I won’t have to stay the whole time either. I’d rather be sleeping.”

“Rrr… I… can’t take more than I… deserve,” Ralph fretted.

Daniel nudged his elbow into Ralph’s lightly, and the other startled a little but looked up at him. “You deserve it. You’re part of the team.” He grinned. “Don’t let Simon and his new friend take what’s yours.”


	4. Bruleed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ralph and Daniel spend as little time as possible at Carl Manfred's gallery opening, fend off an intruder, and discuss bakery names.  
> Daniel unlocks Ralph's tragic backstory and his own heart.

It quickly became apparent to Daniel that Markus was rich. Or, well, maybe just well-off. But his dad was some big hotshot, and he’d obviously never had to worry about basic survival. He was well-dressed in an understated way. And he was polite, and pleasant, and well-spoken. Whatever the hell he was doing here, he seemed like the kind of guy who could have anything he wanted, with a minimum of effort. The kind of guy Daniel could have been, if things had been different.

What a fucking asshole.

Of course his dad invited them all to dinner when they went to cater his stupid art show – he probably lived in a mansion. And of course he loved his son. And supported him – sure Markus paid for his own apartment and necessities, but they had a good relationship. His dad had probably paid for school, and clearly hadn’t demanded to be reimbursed when Markus had decided not to use his education. Probably would cover any emergencies. Probably gave him big extravagant presents for Christmas and birthdays. Probably invited him over all the time. Probably called just to talk, listened to his feelings and opinions, told him he loved him at the end of every call and visit. Probably.

Shit, that must be nice.

Markus acted all concerned about Ralph after he fled, and if he gave Ralph any trouble or made any idiotic comments, Daniel swore he’d punch him right in this fancy art gallery.

It was going to be a long night.

…Not too long though, because he managed to get out early with Ralph’s portion of the tips. The walk back to the bakery was long, but it was good to get some air and some space, to be able to cool off before having to see another person, even if it was Ralph. Ralph didn’t grate on him like a lot of people did, and he didn’t want to take out his anger on him.

When he got back, there was a figure hunched at the door. It didn’t look like Ralph, though – taller, wider, black clothes…

“Hey!” Daniel barked sharply. “What the hell are you doing!?”

The figure jumped and paused, reaching for their hip. …If they had a gun, Daniel didn’t stand a chance.

“Look, we don’t have any cash, just went to the bank today to deposit the register,” Daniel said placatingly. “If you want some old bread or cake, I can get you some, just –“

The door burst open, and the figure was almost knocked down by a furious Ralph. “ _Get out! Get out get out **get out!**_ ” he shrieked, battering wildly at the intruder with the old knife sharpener, which looked like a rounded sword. The would-be burglar raised their arms in defense and took off, and Ralph started after them.

“Ralph! They’re gone, don’t go after them,” Daniel snapped, nerves taut. “They had – I dunno, some kind of weapon.”

“Ra- I have a weapon too,” Ralph snarled, panting.

“You scared ‘em off. It’s okay,” Daniel said softly, cautiously moving closer. “We’re okay. …Were you inside?”

Ralph instantly turned red and looked down. “I… I was sleeping, I’m sorry. I thought… I thought no one would know and it would be okay. I didn’t hear… until you shouted.”

“That’s fine. You’re not on the clock, nothing wrong with sleeping.” Daniel smiled a little and put a hand over the knife sharpener, which Ralph instantly dropped for him to take. “We’re okay – thanks to you. I thought they were gonna pull a gun on me, or at least a knife, then I’d be out of luck.”

Ralph grabbed at his sleeve, trembling. “N-no, I… I wouldn’t let you get hurt.”

Daniel paused, then put a hand lightly over Ralph’s. “C’mon. Let’s go inside.”

Ralph didn’t stop clinging to Daniel’s sleeve as he shut the door behind them and locked it carefully. 

“Where were you sleeping?”

“B-behind the counter… I… I thought I’d hear the door.”

“It’s been a long night already,” Daniel murmured. “I’m tired too. I’ll show you a better place, though.”

He led Ralph back through the kitchen to the storeroom. It was small and warm and smelled of flour. Daniel sat against a shelf of flour and sugar bags, and patted the floor next to him. Ralph hesitantly sat, and held himself stiff so they were barely touching.

“It’s quiet and secure in here – no windows, you can lock the door from inside if you need to. I’ve slept here a time or two, before we lived upstairs, or… when I just wanted to be here. And the floor’s not too cold if you’ve got something to lie on.”

“I – I won’t… sleep when I’m working.”

“I know.”

They sat quietly for a while, and Ralph gradually relaxed so their legs and arms touched just slightly. They still had about an hour before their shift started.

“Rrr… I… grew up here,” Ralph whispered after a while, staring at his hands twisting in his lap. “I lived with my mom. Sometimes her boyfriend, sometimes not. I tried to… to make him like me so we could… just be a family; father, mother, son. But he never did and she would get mad at me too, so I tried to make him not see me much, and I stayed quiet. Then at least they didn’t get mad as much. Sometimes… I forgot, though. I was stupid in school too, and clumsy and…” He trailed off and shrugged. “I… I… I only said ‘Ralph,’ not I or me, ffffor a long time. I tried so hard to stop sounding stupid – I know I’m not smart, but… I can sound like… I’m a little smarter. When I try. It’s… still hard though, still really hard, I… I make mistakes sometimes.”

He didn’t speak again for a while, and Daniel decided not to say anything either. He just sat and waited, and finally Ralph began again.

“I didn’t have money for college and I would’ve been bad at it anyway. After high school I… I stayed at home for a while. I had some jobs. I could do things okay for a while, but… never really good enough to stay anywhere. I just… get scared and do something stupid and… it’s over. Th-the longest one… was the garden center… It was okay sometimes. People weren’t nice, but I didn’t have to see them a lot.” He hunched in on himself, rubbing his arms. The scars covering them were rough and uneven, still fairly new, unlike the one on his face. “I liked… working with the plants. Just the plants and me. A… a little like working at night here, but without you. But you’re nice.” He flashed Daniel a pained smile. “I… I know you wouldn’t hurt Ralph – hurt… me – like that.”

“Of course not,” Daniel breathed. “No.”

Ralph leaned just a bit closer. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone,” he whispered, and suddenly pressed his shoulder into Daniel’s side. Daniel waited. Finally Ralph rubbed at his facial scar. “This… this I got… before, when I was… maybe eighteen? A burn. I… I didn’t want to fight back, didn’t want to hurt him, I just wanted him to stop. I didn’t mean any harm.” He paused again, a frown darkening his face. “…But maybe that time I should have. Some people are just bad. It was at… a car mechanic, I was just helping around the shop. That man delivered parts, and I dropped a box, and broke some things and – I… I drop things a lot, you know. It’s not good. But… but he shouldn’t have hurt me.”

Daniel shook his head wordlessly.

“It hurt, it hurt so much, and… and my eye doesn’t work now, and it still itches. But… I thought I wouldn’t see him again, but then one day he was in the warehouse, with… with the plants, and… and I was too scared to say anything, too scared to look at him, just… scared all the time.” He took a breath. “But another… another worker like me, who… who sometimes messed up like me, he yelled at… at the man one day, and… and if he could do it, so could I. I didn’t hurt him, I didn’t want to hurt people. Maybe I should have. But… I just said… I knew who he was and what he did, and if he ever hurt anybody again I’d find him and kill him.” Ralph shrugged. “He didn’t talk to me after that. Maybe he told other people, the other ones who hurt me. …But then I had to be in the hospital and couldn’t pay, so I left when I could, and… just tried to stay alive, stay safe. I hid a lot. I ate what I could find. I’m hungry and cold, but it’s better now because it’s warmer in the day and I can be here at night with you and I get bread.” He smiled brightly at Daniel.

Daniel couldn’t think of anything to say. Anything other than commenting on Ralph’s nightmare of a life, which he didn’t need, or hoping it would get better – which it was beginning to, and Daniel swore silently to himself it would continue to do.

The back door rattled, and faint voices could be heard outside.

Ralph shot up, grabbing a large wooden spoon with a splintering handle.

“It’s just Simon and Markus,” Daniel murmured, standing up with him. “It’s okay.”

Ralph remained tense, but he put down the spoon and went to help when he saw that Daniel was right. They unloaded a couple of boxes of sweets, and Simon gave him the cash they’d made to put in the safe, and some other things. He seemed a little flushed, and kept glancing over at Markus.

How long would it be until they were spending every quiet moment with their tongues down each other’s throats? Had they already started?

Gross.

Ralph dropped a couple boxes, but nothing broke, and Daniel assured him it was fine. He started counting out the money as he put it in the safe.

“We did really well tonight,” Daniel said. “Like… damn, _really_ well. Might be a good idea to do this again, especially if Markus’s got connections.”

Ralph came up as he opened the envelope. There was a check inside.

“…Holy shit Ralph, look!” He waved it at Ralph, then held it still so he could see. “$2000! Shit, that’s – you know what we could do with this!? This plus the rest? We can fancy the place up, get some new decorating tools, redo the sign and the whole storefront, get a new register – Simon and I’ve been talking about renaming the place, we just haven’t thought of anything good. All his ideas are dumb, he likes puns.” Daniel rolled his eyes. “…But anyway. Damn.” He looked over the check again before shutting it in the safe with the rest and grinning over at Ralph. “Maybe Markus isn’t completely useless, huh?”

“That’s so much,” Ralph breathed.

“Right!? I never thought we could make that much in one night! …Oh, shit, I almost forgot, here’s your tips.” He handed Ralph the wad of cash from his pocket.

Ralph’s eyes widened, the good one focused on the money. Slowly he took it, flipping through it with shaking hands, clutching it tighter and tighter. “I… I don’t… I can’t…”

“Ralph. It’s yours. That’s how this works.” He smiled. “What are you gonna do with it?”

The shorter man swallowed thickly. “I… I could… get new clothes.” He nodded. “I do need new clothes, I know. And a warmer coat. Maybe… maybe even boots!”

Daniel nodded. “…Hey, um… do you… live nearby?”

“Kind of. Kind of nearby.”

“Um.” Daniel paused, then shook his head. “Listen I’m not great with being… tactful or anything, but… if you need somewhere to sleep, you can always stay here. There’s not much room upstairs, but if you wanted to sleep in the storeroom or something…”

Ralph shook his head and he clutched the money. “I… I can’t, I can’t… do that.”

“Why not? Simon wouldn’t mind either.”

Ralph made a face. “Did you ask? He might mind – he’s very very nice, I… I like him. But… he won’t want me sleeping here like… like a… bum, a freeloader…”

“Ralph, you’re not a freeloader. You’re one of us. You work hard. …And we pay as well as we can, but I know it’s not much.”

“Rrr… I… I can’t.”

“You don’t have to. …But you should have somewhere safe and warm to sleep. I’d feel better if I knew you didn’t have to watch your back all the time. I know you don’t get a lot of real rest that way. It’s open to you if you want it, now or later.”

Ralph regarded him with his one good eye. “You… you really think Simon won’t mind?”

“I’m sure. He’d want you to be safe, too. And with the extra things we’ve been baking, he says he doesn’t have to make up quick things late in the day anymore. He and Markus wouldn’t be going in and out. It’d probably be pretty peaceful.”

Ralph didn’t respond, and they baked cakes and pies, and Daniel tried to think of ridiculous bakery names.

“I went to one called Sweet Art once. Fitting I guess, but kind of cutesy. Hmm… Oh! There’s a Japanese bakery over on 34th called Sweet Buns. Have you seen that one?”

“Y-yes! Yes, I’ve seen it, with the cinnamon rolls on the sign!”

Daniel chuckled. “Yeah, cinnamon rolls. Anyway, there’re a lot of bakeries with ‘sweet’ in the name. I’ve also seen Sweet Dreams, Sweetie Pies… And then shit like Wildflour Bakery, but like wheat flour, not… the things that grow. That one’s kind of nice. Or Kneading Dough – like kneading bread dough, but also… needing cash.”

Ralph snickered after a couple of seconds, and Daniel smirked.

“So you’ve got a sense of humor more like Simon’s. I dunno, it’s fine, but I don’t see that as a name for our place.”

“What… what do you want to call it?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I’d be okay with keeping it. It’s not exactly catchy, but people know it. I’m not great at naming things, though. Too much of a perfectionist about it.”

They put the first round in the oven and were starting on the cookies when Ralph giggled.

“What?”

“…Sweet Buns.”

Daniel snorted and bumped him lightly with his elbow. “We might attract a different crowd with that one.”

Ralph dissolved into helpless laughter, leaning into him, and Daniel couldn’t help laughing too. Ralph barely managed to scoop out his dough evenly, but kept pushing on, caught up in hysterical, hiccupping laughter. When Daniel saw a tear fall from his bad eye, he quietly wiped his hands on a towel and lay his arm lightly around the shorter man’s shoulder so he could get away if he wanted to. Ralph instantly crumpled into him, sobbing and laughing and hiding his face. Daniel held him loosely, alternating patting and rubbing his back, murmuring soft words, encouraging him to breathe.

“S-sorry,” Ralph finally gasped when he could. “Sorry, I – sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Daniel murmured. “It’s been a rough night.”

“Rrr… I… I can’t do this, though. C-can’t do this, not at work, not…”

“It’s okay. We’ll still get done what we need to do. …And sometimes it helps, you know? Sometimes you’ve got to let it out so it doesn’t explode inside you. I know. I’m pretty bad about that.”

Ralph sniffled, trembling, still pressed into Daniel’s chest.

“It’s fine, really. Just us two, nights are good like that.”

“You… you don’t have to…”

“C’mon, you know I don’t do things I don’t want to.” Daniel chuckled softly. “It’s fine, we’re friends.”

Ralph looked up now, eyes wide. “…Friends? Really?”

“I mean… yeah. I think so. We talk, we listen to each other. We get each other. I think we’re friends. If you’re okay with that.”

A wide, wet, crooked smile blossomed on Ralph’s face. “Oh… oh yes, Ralph – I – I’m… yes, I… I like that. Very much.”

“Good. Me too.”

Ralph stayed a little closer to Daniel for the rest of the night, brushing against him or gently bumping his arm. He was blinking hard to stay awake by sunrise, more exhausted and emotionally strung-out than he was accustomed to.

“Wanna stay here today?” Daniel asked.

Ralph looked back at the storeroom, then shook his head. “N-no, not… not today. Maybe… maybe tomorrow, though. Maybe other days. Um. Can… can I leave… my money in the safe?”

“Sure, I’ll make sure it’s labeled for you. I’m gonna take the rest to the bank this morning.” He smiled tiredly, patting Ralph’s shoulder. “You can get out of here early if you want. We’re pretty much done anyway.”

Ralph stepped up to lean into Daniel’s chest, his shoulders drooping at the contact. “Mm, I… I… yeah. If… if it’s okay.”

“It’s okay.” Daniel pulled him into a brief hug. “Be safe, okay?”

Ralph nodded, and left with a fuzzy smile.

Daniel hadn’t cared about anyone but Simon for a long time.

He’d cared about everyone, before. He’d loved people, gone out of his way to help anyone who needed it, taken the time to offer advice, or just to listen when someone needed it. That had changed when his world turned upside down, when he realized his brother was the only person in the world who hadn’t abandoned and betrayed him. Lucy had been nice, he’d liked her and appreciated all she’d done for them, but she was their boss, not their friend. Not their _mother,_ as Simon had suggested once, as Daniel had caught himself thinking a time or two. He’d resisted that, though it took some effort sometimes. And Simon had some friends who included Daniel in things sometimes. They were okay, but again, not really his friends. He hadn’t had friends in years.

He hadn’t realized just how much warmth he’d lost until it suddenly came rushing back in.


	5. Bittersweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins host a dinner with some friends. Simon and Markus grow closer in the background, and Ralph eventually gets Daniel to admit why that bothers him.  
> Even when things change, there are a few constants in life to hang onto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't go very deep into detail about the dinner, because I did that in the other half of the story.

“Hey, Simon and his friends are having a dinner thing on Saturday night. A potluck, nothing fancy. They invited us – me, you, Markus. You don’t have to go, but…” Daniel shrugged. “If you want to, you’d be welcome. They’re okay.”

Ralph worried his lip. “…You, me, Markus, Simon… how many more?”

“Just two. Josh is cool, he’s pretty low-key, easy to be around. North’s a little intense sometimes, but she’s okay too and she won’t be an ass to you.” He paused. “I’ll make sure nobody is.”

A faint smile twitched over Ralph’s face. “Up… in your apartment, or somewhere else?”

“Just upstairs. If you want to just stop in and then leave early you can do that, too.”

Ralph nodded thoughtfully. “A potluck. So I should bring something for people to eat.”

Daniel shrugged. “I already told Simon I’m bringing dessert. You could bring some kind of bread if you want.”

Ralph frowned. “I… I should bring… oh, I know a good salad I can make! I – I don’t like… meat, I just eat other things. Um. Can I… can I borrow a bowl? A big one?”

“Sure!” Daniel smiled. “I’ll tell Simon, he’ll be happy you’re coming, too.”

He grinned. “Really, you think? I don’t see him a lot now. But I like him.”

“Oh yeah, he asks about you sometimes, makes sure you’re doing okay. …So what kind of salad, just lettuce and stuff?”

“No, no, dandelion leaves and wild spinach and wild onions. I’ll wash it off first. Very good with, mm, a tangy clear dressing. I make it sometimes, I saw it in a magazine with expensive food, but it’s so easy!”

“Hm, we’ve got a balsamic vinegar dressing upstairs, how’s that sound?”

“Yes! Yes, perfect!” Ralph laughed a little, then his smile faltered. “…I like you and Simon. M-Markus… is okay too. Do you think… the other two are nice?

“I think they’ll like you once they know you better. …They’ll be nice either way, though.”

“I… I might… drop things…”

“So don’t pick anything up.” Daniel grinned and flipped a bit of Ralph’s hair back from his face. “Carry your salad up and I’ll take it. If you drop your fork or whatever at dinner, just pick it up and brush it off. No problem.”

“Really?”

“Sure.”

“What… what if… I say something stupid?”

“Everybody says stupid shit. Don’t worry about it.” He didn’t look convinced, so Daniel stepped closer so their arms were touching. “Doesn’t matter, anyway. I’ll be right there, right? Anybody gives you trouble, they’ll have to deal with me. Say anything you want, stupid or not. Drop things, throw things. Nobody’s gonna start a fight with me.”

“D-don’t… you wouldn’t…”

“I sure the hell would, and they all know it.”

Ralph inhaled sharply and tipped his head to rest against Daniel’s shoulder for a moment, and when he straightened up again he was smiling widely. “…Okay,” he mumbled. “I want to go. I’ll bring the salad.”

“Great!” Daniel grinned back. “Take any bowl you want, and whatever else you need. Saturday at five. It’ll be good to have somebody there who’s not attached to Simon at the hip. …Not that North and Josh are that bad. Markus is practically his boyfriend, though.”

Ralph frowned thoughtfully. “…Is he?”

“I – I don’t know for sure. I do know Simon’s got a huge crush on him. You can tell, can’t you?”

“Mm, yes,” Ralph said decisively. “When he looks at him his eyes get soft and bright, and he always smiles. And his voice gets a little higher, and he blushes a little and he looks happy when he talks about him.”

“Exactly! All that. I don’t know how Markus feels, but Simon’s got it bad for him.”

“…Markus seems nice.”

Daniel made a face. “Maybe.”

“What if he does like Simon?”

“…I don’t like to think about it,” Daniel grumbled.

“W-why?”

Daniel didn’t answer, but kept watching the dough in the old stand mixer until he turned it off.

“Maybe… maybe they’d make each other happy.”

“Maybe he’d hurt Simon,” Daniel growled.

Ralph waited a moment. “…Maybe he wouldn’t. What if he didn’t?”

“How – how can you be so optimistic? People haven’t –“ Daniel paused, then pressed on. “People haven’t been any nicer to you than they have to me, Ralph. Worse, a lot of the time.”

“Y-yes, I know. But… I think people can be nice if they want to be. You’re nice. So is Simon. I think Markus is too.” He hesitated. “I’m… I’m scared of… people hurting me. But… I always wanted to find people who would be nice anyway. Like… friends, like family. I have to be careful. But I still want to try. Maybe Simon does too. And Markus. And you.”

Slowly the tension drained out of Daniel’s shoulders. “…You know, I think you’re a lot braver than I am,” he whispered after a long moment.

Ralph laughed sharply. “Me? No. But you were always nice, so I’m not so afraid anymore.”

 

 

On Saturday, Daniel woke up a little earlier than usual to the sounds and smells of Simon setting up. He was making baked chicken. Daniel had his pie and cake in the fridge, and some cheesy biscuit dough ready to stick in the oven later.

The door opened and North strolled in. “Daniel. Still here?”

He snorted. “North. Did somebody invite you, or are you just here to eat our food?”

“So there’s some guy down there kinda hiding in the bakery doorway, kept looking at the stairs –“

“Oh, that’s probably Ralph. I’ll be right back.” He went outside, and North went to the kitchen to bother Simon.

It was Ralph, and Daniel waved at him. He looked around quickly, then scuttled up the stairs clutching his covered bowl.

“Hey.” Daniel smiled, ready to grab to bowl if it dropped, but Ralph kept a tight grip. “I’m glad you made it. North’s inside, and Simon’s cooking his chicken.”

Ralph’s face twitched into a nervous smile, and he followed Daniel inside.

The apartment was small, but sunny and warm. Daniel stuck the salad in the fridge and put the dressing on the table, then headed back to Ralph before North could corner him. “…So this is the living room.” He pointed to the small couch and old tube TV. “The kitchen’s in there. We’ve got our temporary dining room here, usually we just eat wherever. And in that door is the bedrooms. …Really just one room, we found some cubicle dividers to split it in two. And we’re never asleep at the same time, so it works out.”

“It’s so nice,” Ralph murmured, looking around. “Warm. And… and comfortable, and… pretty, but not… too fancy. I… I like it.”

“You must be Ralph.” North strode out, and Ralph shrank back a little. Daniel squared his shoulders next to him. “I’m North. Can’t believe you put up with this loser every night.” She grinned.

“I – I like Daniel,” Ralph protested, straightening up to his full height, five inches shorter than Daniel. “He’s v-v-very nice.”

Whatever other faults North might have, she could read people well. She backed off a step, and her voice softened. “He’s okay. I heard you really stepped up production downstairs.”

Ralph glanced from her to Daniel and back, reddening slightly. “Oh, um… um… I help, I… yes.” He swallowed.

“Doubled it,” Daniel pointed out.

“Nice!” North smiled. She could be softer when she tried, though she often didn’t. “…And I hear you’re a vegetarian? I brought sweet potatoes, they’re pretty good. I guess Markus is bringing some kind of curry? Might work for you.”

“M-maybe,” Ralph mumbled, nodding.

There was a knock at the door, and Daniel took the distraction to pull Ralph gently to the couch, where they sat close together while North began pestering Markus.

“She… she’s okay,” Ralph whispered.

“Told you. A little rough around the edges, but not bad. And if you can handle her, nobody else’ll be any problem.” 

Josh came soon after, and that was easier. Daniel casually nudged Ralph’s knee with his as they all talked. When Josh went to the kitchen, Markus looked like he might too. But Ralph stood up and hurried over.

“Y-you… you’ll be… nice to Simon… right? He… he was nice. To – to me. Rrrr… I… don’t want him to… get… hurt.”

Markus looked blank, confused, then stricken. He shook his head, opening his mouth, then closing it again. He glanced briefly at Daniel, then back at Ralph. “I won’t hurt him, Ralph.”

“Good.” Ralph smiled faintly and retreated back to sit next to Daniel. Markus paused, then went over to the table. Daniel leaned into Ralph, who leaned back.

“He… he didn’t know,” Ralph breathed, eyes on Markus’s back. “I think… I think he knows now. He should know.”

“He might be smart, but he’s not very perceptive,” Daniel murmured. Would Markus do something about it, though? Knowing Simon, _he_ wouldn’t. Markus would need to make the first move if anything was going to happen.

Sure enough, Simon and Markus slunk into Simon’s room, and came out right when dinner was ready. Ralph sat on the corner, and Daniel could see his hands shaking. He kept his leg against Ralph’s, and made sure to pass him the food without meat. At one point he said something that made Ralph laugh loudly, and Daniel laughed too, to ease the tension. Conversation continued, and Ralph didn’t speak, but he gradually relaxed more and more until he fell asleep curled up against Daniel after dinner.

 

 

When Ralph woke up, the sun was bright. He was still on the couch in Daniel and Simon’s apartment, covered in a blanket that smelled like Daniel. It took him a minute to spot Simon’s note on the coffee table.

_Ralph,_   
_Thanks for coming! I hope you had a good night. You’re welcome to anything you need when you wake up, and stay as long as you want._   
_-Simon and Daniel_

The apartment was quiet, though when he tiptoed over towards the door he could hear deep, even breathing. Daniel, because Simon would be working. …No, it was past closing time for a Sunday. But he wasn’t here. But he might come back soon. So, note or no note, Ralph should get out. Quietly. Daniel was a light sleeper, he remembered. He crept out the door, making sure it was locked. He’d been sleeping in the store room – it felt safe, and he liked it there – but he wasn’t about to go in there at this time of day. The library wasn’t open either, so he slipped back into the abandoned house he’d been sleeping in before.

Someone had been here since the last time he’d come. He hadn’t left anything he needed, but things were in different places. He did a quick sweep of the building – no one there. For now. The kitchen was still covered in scrawling writing from when things got bad. Assurances that he was alive. That he existed, that in some way he mattered in the universe in his small way. Numbers and letters and rough symbols he scratched into the wall just to prove that. To leave a mark, to prove he could change something, even something small. To remind himself.

Things weren’t bad now. Things were pretty good. He had a notebook now that he kept in the back of a bunch of flour bags, between two at the bottom. When he was nervous he’d write as small as he could, and it helped steady him when he was alone.

When he wasn’t alone… he didn’t need it. Or when he did, he found other things that helped. Daniel was good. Ralph would apologize for sleeping upstairs, and… and Daniel just wouldn’t be mad. Probably not. He hadn’t been mad about other things Ralph had done. Sometimes he got mad about other things, but he hadn’t gotten mad at Ralph even when Ralph said really stupid things.

He napped a little under the stairs, then headed out when the sun went down. There was someone watching him from across the street when he emerged from the hole in the fence, but he just bared his teeth at them and ran. They didn’t follow. He shouldn’t go back to the house, though. …It was a frightening thought, but also comforting. He had a better place, the little room in the back. Only a small space, but it felt much more like home now.

Normally he arrived before Daniel, but tonight Daniel was inside cleaning already. He checked the clock – he wasn’t late. Daniel looked up with a tired, tense smile, but didn’t speak, so Ralph smiled back and got to work.

“I – I didn’t mean to fall asleep at your party,” Ralph said as they were mixing up cake batter. “It wasn’t boring. S-sorry.”

Daniel smirked. “Not my party, I was just there. But nah, it’s fine, it was a weird time for our schedule. I’m probably gonna crash before we’re done tonight.”

“Um. Simon’s friends… were nice.”

“Yeah, they’re okay.”

“I think Markus is nice too,” Ralph said cautiously, and saw the immediate twitch of Daniel’s face, and the way his eyes narrowed. “I – I mean nice to Simon and to me and… he… he seems nice to everyone.”

“Yeah, he’s great,” Daniel grumbled, shoving the open bag of flour back into the fridge. They worked quietly for a while.

“…Simon went out with him after work today. They talked. They’re gonna start dating.”

Ralph looked up. “Oh! …Is Simon happy?”

“Sure seems like it.”

Ralph nodded, still watching him. Daniel glanced over, saw him looking, and glared darkly. Ralph cringed away.

“…Sorry Ralph, that – I’m sorry. I just… he’s all I’ve got. After we got kicked out he had an easier time making friends than I did, but we were still… always the most important person to each other.”

“Aren’t you still?”

Daniel flinched a little. “I… don’t know. I guess. Right now, sure. But…” he paused. “Right now, yeah. I guess I’m just… jumping the gun a little.”

“What are you scared of?”

Daniel bit back the acidic retort anyone else would have gotten. It took him a moment to think of something acceptable to say. “…Let’s say it goes well. He and Markus really hit it off, get serious. He starts spending all his time with Markus. Talks to me less and less. He moves in with him. Leaves me… Leaves me.” His shoulders drooped in defeat.

Ralph shuffled closer and squeezed his arm. “Simon’s a good brother,” he said softly. “He loves you. He won’t forget you, won’t stop talking to you.”

Daniel stood still, willing himself to breathe. “…Maybe not,” he admitted quietly. “But… things will change. I’m – I’m scared of that.”

“Things change a lot,” Ralph agreed. “It’s… it’s hard sometimes, hard to… to let them. But he loves you and you love him. So… he won’t really leave you.”

Daniel cleared his throat and swallowed around the lump that had formed there, trying to distract himself. “…W-what about you, Ralph? This place… doesn’t pay a hell of a lot. I know it’s hard, but… shit, I think you could do better, honestly. I’d write you a great reference, I know Simon would too.”

Ralph froze, withdrew his hand. “Do… do you want me to go?”

“No,” Daniel said instantly, and his voice cracked a little. “…No. I just – you could make more money than this. If you wanted to go somewhere else.”

It took him a moment to look up, but when he did, Ralph was glaring at him intensely. “No,” the shorter man enunciated clearly. “I want to stay here, I’m staying. Here, with you. Unless you make me go, but I want to stay. I… I don’t need more money, I need… to be here.” His stare challenged Daniel to disagree.

Daniel swept him up in a tight hug, eliciting a faint squeak of surprise before Ralph returned the embrace.

“I won’t stop you from doing what’s best for you, but… but I want you to stay,” he mumbled. “And if Simon does move out, you’re moving in upstairs. …And until then, we’re getting you some kind of bed in the store room because you shouldn’t have to sleep on the floor.”

“Ra – I… I don’t need it, I’m okay –“

“You should have it, though. You should be comfortable. And Simon agrees.” He paused. “Are you okay with that?”

“I… well… I shouldn’t… go back where I was staying before. There’s… there were other people there, I saw things moved around. And somebody was watching when I left tonight, I…”

“No, don’t go back there. Stick around, you’ll be safe here. And if you want to sleep up on the couch, that’s fine too.” Daniel smiled a little.

Ralph pulled away and looked up at him, face unreadable. “…Really?”

“We’re friends. Pretty much family at this point, right? You and me and Simon – I guess Markus too, we’ll see how things go there. We’ll be okay, though.”

Ralph let out a disbelieving laugh and hugged Daniel tightly. “Yes! Yes, friends and family, all of us! We’re… we’re okay, we’re safe and good and okay.”

Daniel nodded, resting his head lightly on the wispy blonde hair. Safe and good and okay. Even if things changed, those things wouldn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments give me life...  
> Visit me on Tumblr at [Anomalous Appliances](http://anomalous-appliances.tumblr.com)!


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